Sunday, May 3, 2009

Comic Robert Schimmel arrested for assault

Comedian is accused of beating his wife, was released on bail

CALABASAS, California - Standup comic Robert Schimmel has been arrested on suspicion of beating his wife.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Jay Royal says the 59-year-old comedian was taken into custody early Saturday after an alleged fight at his home in Calabasas.

Schimmel was booked in the county jail for investigation of spousal assault. He was later released on $50,000 bail.

A call seeking comment from Schimmel's agent was not immediately returned.

The comedian has been a frequent guest on Conan O'Brien's TV show and on Howard Stern's radio program. His 2008 memoir "Cancer on $5 a Day" chronicles his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Heidi Klum says baby No. 4 will be her last

Supermodel tells Ellen she and Seal weren’t planning, weren’t not planning

With Baby No. 4 due to arrive this fall, Heidi Klum got a gentle ribbing from Ellen DeGeneres, "because," the show host tells the supermodel on Monday's upcoming "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "you have already six or seven, don't you?"

"No, we have three," replies the "Project Runway" host, 35, referring to husband Seal, 46. Their brood consists of daughter Leni, 4 (whose dad is Italian businessman Flavio Briatore), and sons Henry Günther, 3, and Johan Riley, 2.

"Well, a lot," says DeGeneres.

As for adding to the family, Klum says, "We weren't planning, but we also weren't not planning, either. We were kind of leaving it open. We were always looking around the table and always thought one more would be nice."

The supermodel also admits to some method to her maternity. "We kind of took one baby at a time, and every time we thought, 'Yeah, one more, that's it' ... But I think now it's the first time I feel like this is it."

Asking the big question, DeGeneres says, "You have one girl and two boys. And so do you know what it is — a boy or a girl?'

After guessing her guest is going to have a girl, DeGeneres then asks Klum, "Are you going to find out?"

"Yes," says Klum, "probably at the end of the month."

© 2009 MSNBC Interactive

Girl’s dad doesn’t want Madonna adoption

But father of young Mercy James has never even met his daughter

NEW YORK - The father of an African girl Madonna hopes to adopt says he wants to take care of his daughter himself — even though he's never met her.

James Kambewa, believed to be the biological father of Chifundo "Mercy" James, said he doesn't want the pop star to adopt the 4-year-old.

"I want to take care of her, and I'm capable to take care of my baby," he told CBS' "The Early Show" in an interview to be aired Monday. "Mercy, she is a Malawian — so (I) need her to grow as a Malawian as well with our culture."

Kambewa wears a necklace bearing his daughter's name but has never met her and says he has only seen her "in newspapers and TV — not face to face."

Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an e-mail message Saturday she doesn't know if Kambewa is the father of the girl, who lives in an orphanage.

"All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born," Rosenberg said.

Madonna's appeal of a court ruling denying her request to adopt the girl is to be heard Monday in Malawi, in southeast Africa. The "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" singer already has adopted a son, David, from there.

Malawi requires prospective parents to live there for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability. The rule wasn't applied when Madonna was allowed to take David to London in 2006.